Most domestic buildings are constructed with rain gutters about the perimeter of its roof line. During periods of rainfall, these collect water that may fall upon the roof and conduct it towards drain pipes servicing a local storm water system.
Over a period of time, rain gutters can collect debris and detritus such as fallen leaves, branches and other rubbish. These can collect in the rain gutter and create blockages which obstructs and slows movement of rain water therein. In periods of rain where the gutters collect water faster than it can be conducted towards the drainage pipes, this has the potential to cause an overflow of water towards the building.
This can cause leakages into the ceiling and wall spaces of the building and may even penetrate into the living or working space. Furthermore, if not dealt with, prolonged contact with water can rot the structures of the building particularly those that are adjacent to the rain gutter, such as the fascia or soffit.
Conventional methods of cleaning rain gutters of debris requires people to ascend ladders in order to reach the rain gutter. The debris can then be cleared by scooping it out with hands or tools such as a trowel or the like. However, this can place people at risk of a fall from some height should they lose their balance while cleaning the rain gutters. This can be particularly concerning for the elderly.
To help minimise the need for people to ascend ladders in order to clear rain gutters, devices to tilt rain gutters from the ground have been developed. For example, one such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,460. This describes the use of a hinged hanger which is secured to the fascia and the bottom of the rain gutter respectively. By articulating a rope pulley system, the rain gutter can be pivoted or otherwise tilted upside down. This allows the debris contained within the gutter to fall to the ground where it can be easily removed.
The disadvantage of this arrangement is the loading that is placed upon the pulley when it is full of debris. It can be quite heavy to pivot the gutter when it is full of debris and this can place strain on the ropes of the pulley system. These ropes can deteriorate over time and there is the possibility of their failure under a large load.
Furthermore, there are constraints to the placement of the pulleys which must be at or proximate the ends of the gutter. The building may have structures from the soffit or downpipes that limit or obstruct the pulleys.
Additionally, the gutter itself is only secured by its underside. This also places considerable loading on the fasteners and portion of the bracket which is mounted to the soffit of the building.
It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.
Throughout this specification, the word “comprise”, or variations thereof such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.